In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Pearl Princess IX’.
The present variety was hybridized by us in 2000 as a first generation cross using ‘Snow Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) peach as the selected seed parent and ‘Rose Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,845) nectarine as the selected pollen parent. Upon reaching maturity the fruit from this cross was harvested, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in our greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2005 we selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Snow Princess’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570), by having a vigorous tree with large blossoms, by being self-fertile, and by producing freestone peaches that are mostly red to pink in skin color, white in flesh color, globose in shape, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by having globose instead of reniform leaf glands and by producing fruit that is mildly acidic instead of sub-acidic in flavor and that matures about fourteen days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘Rose Bright’ nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,845), by having a vigorous tree, by having large blossoms, and by being self-fertile, but is quite distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, that is sweeter and less acidic in flavor, that is peach instead of nectarine, and that matures about fifty days later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Ice Queen’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,700) by having a vigorous tree, by having large blossoms, by being self-fertile, and by producing white flesh freestone peaches that are mostly red in skin color, globose in shape, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by having globose instead of reniform leaf glands, by requiring less chilling hours, and by producing fruit that is larger in size and that ripens about seven days earlier.